Blackhawks look for more NHL involvement

Club President John McDonough working behind scenes to bring All-Star Game and NHL draft to Chicago

June 25, 2014|By Chris Kuc, Chicago Tribune reporter

Not much time passes from one conversation between NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Blackhawks President John McDonough to the next.

"John McDonough is in my ear all the time for anything," Bettman told the Tribune. "He's very passionate about doing as many things from a league perspective with the Blackhawks in Chicago as possible."

That includes the Hawks hosting the NHL All-Star Game or NHL draft. Chicago has not been the site for the All-Star Game since 1991 and never has been the location for the draft.

That could change if McDonough gets his wish.

"There's always the possibility," Bettman said. "We haven't focused on where we're going in the long term but obviously we know there are a lot of great fans in Chicago and the Blackhawks are part of the heart and soul of the city."

Cold fact: Bettman hasn't been shy is having the Hawks involved in outdoor games. After hosting the Red Wings in the 2009 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field and the Penguins last March at Soldier Field as part of the Stadium Series, the Hawks will make their third appearance in the cold when they face the Capitals in the 2015 Winter Classic in Washington on Jan. 1.

"We try to move it around," Bettman said. "The Blackhawks have a very strong following and we thought having Chicago play Washington would … create a lot of interest."

Hawks players are all for participating in the outdoor contests.

"It's a spectacular event with everything going on around it and playing outdoors," defenseman Duncan Keith said. "It's a (rare) experience."

Added Hawks captain Jonathan Toews: "This past one was kind of crazy (as) we just were looking to get back to our normal routine, especially coming back right after the Olympics. Maybe this time around we'll embrace it even more.

"It just shows the league sees Chicago as being one of those feature cities and feature teams to be in this game. It's something as players we look forward to as being good for our team, our city and also for our game as a whole."

Captain speak: Toews was among three finalists for the NHL Mark Messier Leadership Award, but watched as the Kings' Dustin Brown won it during the NHL Awards in Las Vegas.

Still, Toews said it was an honor to be nominated.

"I've been given a lot of opportunities and I try to make the best of them," the Hawks captain said. "In Chicago, we have a great leadership group. It's not just myself, it's the contributions from all those guys that make our team special and make that culture in our locker room what it is. Maybe on an individual level I'm getting much more credit than I deserve."

Toews said his best leadership quality is displaying his drive and determination on the ice.

"I'm learning little things, little tweaks to what I do and say and how I am on the ice," he said. "At the end of the day, it's just your work ethic and your will to win and doing the right things. Then guys see that and follow and understand what it takes."

Status report: The NHL's Board of Governors will meet in New York on Thursday but aren't expected to make any major alterations to the game.

"We'll look at a couple of tweaks," Bettman said. "Fundamentally, we like the way the game is. We had a great season. The competitive balance is extraordinary. The game is in a good place."